New tech toys to tinker with at Sitex 2014

Deals, deals and more deals. That’s old news if you’re familiar with Sitex. But you can teach an old dog new tricks.

While Sitex doesn’t have an amazing tech showcase from us and other tech partners, you can still find a few new gems. Things that are so new, you can smell the silicon in them. We made the rounds at the Singapore Expo halls and spotted these highlights that you should check out.

Hands-on area with Viewqwest’s 2Gbps fibre broadband

Surprisingly, the telcos are out in full force at Sitex. Last we saw, the big three (M1, StarHub and SingTel) have a loud presence, along with MyRepublic and ViewQwest.

Though the fastest speeds you can sign up and get almost immediately are the 1Gbps fibre broadband plans, ViewQwest has set up a demo area for its soon-to-arrive 2Gbps fibre broadband connection. You’ll mostly see some numbers showing crazy download and upload speeds via Speedtest. Plus, there are a few units that showcase how you can access Netflix and other geo-restricted content via VPN.

See the ViewQwest 2Gbps demo at: Singapore Expo Hall 5, at the end of the right side of the hall

Hear the Creative Sound Blaster X7’s roaring demo

You might have seen rave reviews of the X7, but hearing is believing. And honestly, have you seen a compact trapezoidal prism speaker? Or heard the audio delivered by its 24-bit/192kHz 127dB DAC? You actually have a chance, because Creative is hosting preview sessions at Sitex, right behind this secretive-looking black curtain. The only caveat? There are limited slots and they’re filling fast. Don’t believe us? Just look at Creative’s registration site.

Find the HP Omen

There are gaming laptops. And there are slim gaming laptops. You might be thinking of the Razer Blade, but there’s another worth your attention - the new HP Omen.

This will be the first time you’ll get some hands-on time with the powerful gaming laptop, which is armed to the teeth with 15.6in 1080p touch display, 16GB DDR3L SD RAM, quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M graphics card.

Not exactly the cheapest laptop around, as you’ll need to fork out S$3399 for this slim gaming machine. But hey, at least it won't break the piggy bank (that much).

Set your sights on the HP Omen at: Singapore Expo Hall 6. You can’t miss it, it’s right smack at the entrance on the left.

Join the Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) G751

Oddly, Sitex seems like a haven for gamers, because we also found the Asus ROG G751 gaming system on display. And yes, it’s the same stealth fighter design with dual rear vents to pump out all the hot air. Not figuratively, because this machine, which comes in two variants, has a load of impressive hardware - Intel Core i7 processors and the latest NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 970M or 980M graphics card.

Cost? The ROG G751JT and ROG G751JY are priced at S$2198 and S$2898 respectively. Plus, you’ll get a free ROG handset, mouse and backpack.

Join the Asus ROG G751 at: Singapore Expo Halls 5 and 6. Trust us, you won’t miss it, as long as you spot a booth with the Asus logo.

Spot the secretive Alienware Area-51 demo

Take a trip into the deeper parts of the Singapore Expo. You’ll spot this massive, prism-looking system with funky lights. Nope, it’s not of alien origin, though the said item, the Alienware Area-51, looks and sounds like one.

Heck, its hardware is so advanced, you would think it’s alien tech. This includes an octo-core Intel i7 Extreme processor, up to 32GB of RAM, a 1.5kW power supply, the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi and as many as three full-length, double-wide graphics cards. We’ll repeat that: Three. Graphics. Cards. That’s a potential resolution of 11520 x 2160 pixels across three screens. Wicked.

Sneak into the Alienware Area-51 demo at: Singapore Expo Hall 5. Go deep. No kidding, because you’ll find it all the way at the rear of the hall.